Installing PS3 Media Server on FreeNAS

If you are having problems with Fuppes on FreeNAS, you may want to consider installing PS3 Media Server as an alternative. I have had no luck transcoding mkvs or flvs with either of these solutions but PS3 Media Server has proved more stable.

You can install PS3 Media Server directly from the console but if you don't have the option or don't want to do it, you can it remotely by configuring the ssh service. To do this, login to the FreeNAS web console and click on Services and then SSH. If you want to run this from the console, skip to Step 3.

You will then need to :-

Enable the SSH service.

Permit root login. (This will allow the root superuser to directly connect onto FreeNAS to install the packages ou need. It is not always the best practice to do this but this is a time saver)

Click Save and Restart.

Download Putty. It's only an executlable file so you don't need to install it, just run it.

Enter the IP address (or hostname if you have CIFS configured) of FreeNAS and click on open. This will then open a terminal window to your FreeNAS box where you will be prompted for credentials. Use these:-

Login as: root
Password: freenas (default password)

You now need to run the following commands:-

pkg_add -v -r xtrans

pkg_add -v -r xproto

pkg_add -v -r xextproto

pkg_add -v -r javavmwrapper

pkg_add -v -r ffmpeg

Download the correct version of Diablo Latte JRE for your installation

You will need to press the space bar to page down the license agreement. Then type in yes and press the Enter key to complete the installation.

Download the PS3 Media Server. Once again copy this onto your FreeNAS server using FTP or using your windows share.

From your putty window, go to the directory you have placed your download in and extract the tarball.

cd /mnt/Files/Software (if you have put it in this directory.)

tar -xf pms-linux-1.10.5.tgz

You will now need to create a directory for the PS3 Media Server installation and copy these files in. From your Putty window:-

mkdir /var/PMS

cd pms-linux-1.10.5

mv * /var/PMS

You will now need to create a config file (PMS.conf) and enter in the names of your folders. From your Putty window again

nano /var/PMS/PMS.conf

Enter into that file your equivalent config

folders= /mnt/Files/Audio,/mnt/Files/Video

Exit and Save.

In order to pick this config file up you will need to add a line into the /var/PMS/PMS.sh file

nano /var/PMS/PMS.sh

under the # !/bin/sh put the line

cd /var/PMS

Exit and Save

You are now ready to test the media server. From your Putty window

sh /var/PMS/PMS.sh

From your PS3, try to view your Videos on your FreeNAS server

If you are happy that this is running, you can add this to the postinit scripts on FreeNAS to make sure it starts up properly. From your FreeNAS web console, select System, and then Advanced. Then click on Command Scripts.

In the Command box, type in sh /var/PMS/PMS.sh and select PostInit as the Type from the drop down list.